Folding tent



t, e e

W e e N A .Y R R L. a d 0 M 0 m FOLDING TENT.

' INVENTOR:

BY Vila/m h A ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L P. RYAN.

. FOLDING TENT.

No. 378,977. Patented Mar. 6, 1888.

I II f@/ 1 8 fII/IE/ fff/{E/ I !I!I@/ IIrYFE INVENTOR I WITNESSES:

6.612% V I v 7 I v I ATTORNEYS.

n. PETERS, PhnlaLilhogr apher. Washington. 0.1:.

of the hinges employed.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LAURENCE F. RYAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FOLDING TENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,977, dated March 6,1888. Application filed August 8, 1887. Serial No. 246,431. (No model.)

To all whom} it may concern;.

Be it known that I, LAURENCE F. RYAN, of the city, count-y, and State ofNew York, have invented a new and ImprovedFolding Tent,

of which the following is a full, clear, and 6X The invention consistsin the construction and combination of the several parts, as will behereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters and figures of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of my tentframe set up, and Fig. 2 is adetail view of the locking device. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views Fig. 5is a view of the frame folded for transportation, and Fig. 6 is a detailview of the adjusted ridge-pole.

- Fig. 7 is a side view of the folded rafters.

.In carrying out the invention the body of the tent-frame is constructedof a series of rectangular frames, A, the contiguous sides of the framesconstituting the angles when the body is set up, being connected at topand bottom by a bracket-hinge, A, (illustrated in Fig. 3,) consisting oftwo arms, a and a, the arm a being provided near one end longitudinallyat top and bottom with ears o and the arm a with a central longitudinalcam-faced lug, 65, near one end adapted to be held between the ears (6by a suitable pin. The normal position of the arms is at right angles toeach other, the cam-surface of the lug a holding them quite rigid inthis position. The arms, however, are capable of folding parallel witheach other, with an intervening space.

The frames, which are designed to be in alignment when the tent is setup, have their contiguous sides united by the form of hinge, 13,illustrated in Fig. 4, consisting of two horizontal arms, 2), arrangedin the same plane, having their pivotally-united ends 22 bent outandparallel plates, d d, having pivoted beward at an angle toward eachother, whereby, when the said arms are folded on the hinge shut, thehorizontal portion of each arm will be parallel and a distance apart,the distance being equal to the distance intervening the arms a a of thehinge A.

It will be observed, as shown in Fig. 5, that when the several frameshinged as above are folded for shipment a space is provided between eachframe. This space is purposed to accommodate a locking device, D, whichis at-. tached to the inner face of the upper ends of the frames, asshown in Fig. 1, projecting out therefrom. The spaces need, therefore,be only sufficient to accommodate the device as aforesaid.

The locking device consists of two spaced 0 tween them two compoundcurved levers, d 7 the said levers being pivoted one facing the other,about centrally their length, as shown in Fig. 2.

The opposing surfaces 6 of the levers 01 above their pivotal points areconcaved, and the said levers at their upper extremities are providedwith opposing hooks 0. Below the pivotal point the inner contiguousedges, e, of. the levers are converted and made to project downward andoutward below the plates or casing. The outer end of each lever isprovided with an eye, 0, in which cords c are fastened, adapted to bemerged into one,'and the said single cord is made to hang down withinthe tent, as shown in Fig. 1.

Between the plates (1 and (2 two springs, f, are secured at their lowerends, one near the outer edge of each lever below their pivotal point,the free ends of said springs being adapted to engage the upper outeredges of the levers and normally keep the hooks e in contact.

The rafters H are constructed to fold in sections for transportation,and when the tentframe is set up the said rafters are held in engagementwith the frames by the aforesaid locking device D.

The rafters each consist of a ridge-casting, h, constructed in twosections, 1 and 2, having their opposing ends beveled in order that thetwo sections when abutted will form an obtuse angle, as shown in Fig. 1.

The section 1 upon the upper edge at each side is provided with twolongitudinal projcctions, 3, terminating over the beveled edge in eyes4, and a similar central projection, 5, is provided upon the section 2,also terminating in an eye, which eye is adapted to enter the spacebetween the eyes 4. By passing a pintle through the aligning eyes ahinge-joint is effected. folded for transportation, the sections arecarried over one upon the other. The projection 5 will then enter thespace intervening the projections 3, forming a tongue-and-grooveconnection, as shown in Fig. 7.

In each section 1 and 2 a longitudinal slot, 6, is cut, adapted toreceive the tongue of wooden blocks 8, the opposite end of the blocksbeing entered intermediate hinged castings 9. The castings 9 are alsomade in two sections, 10 and 11, longitudinallyslotted at their outerends to receive the blocks, the inner and opposing ends of each sectionbeing stepped to form a lie when opened, in which event the top andbottom edges are in the same plane, as shown in Fig. 1. The hingeconnection 12 of the sections is effected at the under side of theopposing edges, as shown in Fig. 7, whereby when closed fortransportation the two sections will close one upon the other, theridgecasting, one section of the intermediate castings, and interposedblocks forming a complete folded section, as also shown in Fig. 7. Asecond block, 13, is attached to each outer section, 11., in a similarmanner as in the attachment of the aforesaid blocks 8, and to the lowerend of the blocks 18 the binding or final castings of the rafters areattached. The final casting employed at the ends of the frame differs inshape slightly from the similar casting employed between the ends.

The bindingcasting 11, forming a portion of the end rafters, consists ofan inclined slotted arm, 15, to which the blocks 13 are attached, and anintegral inwardlyextending arm, 16, provided upon the outside at the endwith a downwardly-extending lug, 17, and upon the inner side, also atthe end,with a downwardlyprojecting arrow-headed lug, 18, the two lugsbeing in alignment.

The binding-castings 14s for the intermediate rafters consist simply ofthe inclined slotted arm 15, provided with thcattached and aligning lugs17 and 18. The space intervening the lugs in each of thebinding-castings is equal to the thickness of the frames A at the top,as shown in Fig. 1.

In operation the rafters, two or more in number, according to thedimensions of the frame-body, are mounted in position and thearrow-headed lugs 18 entered between the levers d of the locking devicesD,and the ridgepole M,consisting of many sections m screwed XVhcn theridge-casting is to be' together, is passed through the edges of theridge-castings, the pivotal pins being removed, and the ridge-pole isthen secured in position by a nut screwed upon the section projectingbeyond one end rafter, a head having been provided on the sectionprojecting through the opposite end rafter. A canvas covering is thenthrown over the structure and secured in any approved manner.

Pins of any desired or convenient shape may be driven in the ground andthe several frames attached thereto, if found necessary, or the pins mayonly be placed at the corners.

In detaching the rafters to fold the tentframe the cords c are pulleddownward, which, opening the levers d", releases the binding-castingsfrom connection with the frames.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters lalcnt, is

1. The combination, with a folding frame, of hinged rafters detachablysecured to said frame, a sectional ridge-pole passing through andconnecting said rafters,aud means for connecting the rafters with theframe, substantially as shown and describcd,and for the purpose hereinsetforth.

2. The combination,with the folding frames A and the locking devices I),secured at the upper edge of said frames, of hinged rafters detachablysecured to said frames by said locking devices,and a sectionalridge-pole connecting said rafters at the angle thereof, substantiallyas shown and described.

3. The combinatiomwith the folding frames A and a locking deviceattached to the upper side of said frames, consisting of the plates (Zd, the opposing spring-actuated levers (V, shaped with a compound curveand provided with a hook at their upper cnds,of the hinged raftersI'Lprovided with a lower section adapted to rest upon the frames, havingan integral substantially arrow-shaped lug, 18, adapted to be engaged bysaid levers, and a sectional ridge-pole passing through and connectingsaid rafters, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a folding tent,a rafter adapted to sup port the roof thereof,consisting of the slotted and hinged metal ridge-section h, the intermediate slotted and hinged metal sections, 9, the interposedinterlocking blocks 8 and 13, and slotted metal locking-sections1.4,att1ched to said blocks 13, and provided with opposing lugs 17 and18, the lug 18 having a substantially arrow-shaped head, substantiallyas and for the purpose herein specified.

LAURENCE F. RYAN.

Xvi tnesses:

THOMAS M. HORAN, J only M. McDnnno'r'r.

ICO

IIO

